James Franco coming to Castro Theatre Oct. 27

James Franco will be holding court at San Francisco's Castro Theatre as part of "James of All Trades: An Evening with James Franco."

Hailed for his rugged good looks and his Renaissance man chops (he's a scholar, writer and artist as well as a movie star), the actor has shone in important films such as "Milk" and "127 Hours" while also making appearance in the kitschy realm of "Spider-Man" and "General Hospital." He plays a meth kingpin in the upcoming action thriller "Homefront," with Jason Statham and Winona Ryder, due in theaters in November.

The movie star got his big break at the age of 19 when he dropped out of school for a part on the iconic TV show "Freaks and Geeks."

A rarity in Hollywood for combining a man-of-letters hipness with action-star abs, Franco recently signed on to make his Broadway debut in a revival of "Of Mice and Men," playing George to Chris O'Dowd's Lennie.

Anna Shapiro, who directed the epic "August: Osage County," will helm the reboot of the classic.

The Palo Alto native will mingle with fans at a VIP reception as well appearing onstage for a conversation hosted by the Commonwealth Club. He will likely draw upon insights shared in "Actors Anonymous," his first novel, a tell-all about the dark heart of celebrity. The event will be held at 5:45 p.m. Oct. 27 at the Castro Theatre, 429 Castro Street, San Francisco. Tickets are $15-$95 at www.castrotheatre.com/events.